Hands
by RavenRosebud
Summary: After an accident in Potions, Harry is hid away for the remainder of the school year. Come summer he finds himself in Hogwarts’ Dungeons being tutored by a very different Snape


Title:Hands  
Author: RavenRosebud  
Pairing: Snape/Harry  
Rating: PG  
Summary: After an accident in Potions, Harry is hid away for the remainder of the school year. Come summer he finds himself in Hogwarts' Dungeons being tutored by a very different Snape.  
Disclaimer: I don't own them, that British woman does.

It had been four months since that day. Sometimes Snape still dreams about that moment, he doesn't understand why. In all his years, he had seen many horrible things, and for some reason that moment stuck with him.

It was sixth year Potions class, Slytherins and Gryffindors. They were working on a complicated potion that required very precise measurements. He had paired them off hoping that they could keep an eye on each other. He had not taken chances with pairing Slytherins with Gryffindors, he wanted no rivalries today.

There were many students that had continued studying potions that he had been surprised by. Granger of course had continued that was no surprise. What did surprise him was that Potter, Weasley, and Longbottom had also chose to continue potions.

Granger and Weasley had been working together quite well, the red headed boy seemed to have no problem with Granger bossing him around. Potter and Longbottom had been pairing up together since the beginning of the year. Longbottom seemed to do fine under Potter's supervision, so he had let them work together that day.

There was no warning that anything was about to happen. Snape had just made his rounds checking each cauldron for any discolorations or odd textures. The explosion shocked him and he fell back into Draco's table. He looked towards the front of the classroom and paled at the sight. Harry Potter was lying unconscious on the stone floor. Snape felt like everything was moving in slow motion as he approached the boy.

The violet potion covered all of his bare skin, and Snape could smell burnt flesh. He fell down on his knees and leaned in trying to determine the extent of his injuries. Potter didn't stir as he picked up his wrist and checked his pulse. He moved his wand over the body removing all traces of potion.

He had levitated Potter to the Hospital Wing and gently placed him upon a turned down bed. Pomfrey had panicked for a split second before setting to work on the young man. Snape had fled from the Hospital back to his classroom. Images of Potter's scalded skin flashed in his head as his eyes landed on the unharmed Longbottom.

Rage built up inside of him and he clenched his fists in an effort not to wrap them around the pudgy boy's neck. He had dismissed the class early and paced in front of his fireplace awaiting word. It took three hours before he heard anything from Pomfrey. His ears seemed to be ringing and only select words got through. "serious.....permanent....scarring......disfigurement....blind."

Neville Longbottom the klutz of Gryffindor had blinded and permanently disfigured the boy who was suppose to be the savior of the wizarding world. The Order of the Phoenix met behind locked doors in Albus's private chambers. They had researched every possible cure and spell to fix the boy's condition, they found nothing.

In an effort to keep up morale, they hid him. They had not wanted people to lose hope. They feared everyone's reaction when they discovered the Boy Who Lived's blindness, for how could he defeat an enemy he could not see.

Harry had been whisked from the infirmary that very night and taken to an undisclosed location. His friends, Hermione and Ron had been informed that he had to be moved, but that he was fine. No one but those closest to Dumbledore knew the truth. 

Snape felt guilty whenever he caught sight of that lost look on Weasley's face. He didn't really like him, nor that brainy girlfriend of his, but he didn't feel right keeping Potter's injury from them. He found it difficult to look at Longbottom without picturing Potter lying on the Potions' room floor.

It two weeks time he would see Potter again. He had agreed to tutor the boy on what he had missed during his four month absence. He would be returning to Hogwarts after school let out for the year and not returning home, it was not safe for him there. In truth, he was not safe anywhere now.

Why is it that when we aren't looking forward to something time seems to move even faster? Snape sat at his desk staring at the arched wooden doorway while he waited Potter's arrival. His long potion stained fingers drummed the top of his desk as he subconsciously chewed on the inside of his mouth.

The door creaked open and Snape got his first view of Potter since the day of the accident. Crooked fingers were wrapped around his arm as Dumbledore guided him into the inner office. The right side of the boy's face was covered by tight red skin, his eyes were clouded over and the emerald color had faded away.

"Severus, I thought perhaps it would be easiest if Mr. Potter remained in your suite this summer. I do not think it would be wise for him to be wandering the castle." Snape saw Potter's body stiffen at Dumbledore's words. He had to agree that it would make more sense for Potter to remain in his quarters than to stay in Gryffindor Tower.

Potter was perched uneasily on the overstuffed sofa that sat in Snape's sparse sitting room. His fingers were interlocked and his eyes were pinned to the portrait that hung above the crackling fire. Snape gracefully sat down on his wing back chair and took in the boy's small frame. His school robes were too large for him and his cheeks were slightly sunken.

"Potter, first I thought we would go over your schedule for the summer. I have a very full plan in mind in order to cover what you missed these past four months. I understand that you have begun learning braille."

"Yes, sir." Potter's voice was cracked as though he hadn't used it much these last few weeks. Snape stared into those ruined eyes hoping to see a flicker of something.

"Very good. We shall continue your lessons in braille this summer also. You shall also learn some new defense moves and learn how to sense where your opponent is, along of course with Potions." The side of Potter's mouth twitched as though he was forcing back a smile or perhaps a smirk.

Their mornings were spent with their shoulders pressed together as they leaned over the table reading braille. Snape would watch as Potter's finger would glide across the pages his lips moving along with each word. He would strain to hear the whispered words that Potter's hands were reading.

In the afternoon, after their meal, they would take a short walk around the castle while Potter's hand griped Snape's forearm. Snape's eyes would linger on the pale fingers that would cling to his black robes. He loved those hands, the fingers were not long, but at the same time not short, they were narrow and always cold. His middle finger on his left hand bore a small freckle just below the first knuckle. His right hand had small half moon shapes in his palm from clenching his fist when he was angry, frustrated, or nervous.

In the late afternoon they would spend their time leaning over a simmering cauldron. Potter was surprised the first time he reached for a small bottle and discovered the label was written in braille. Snape had spent the entire week before his arrival magically adding braille to all of his labels. Snape would stand on the opposite side of the table and watch as Potter carefully measured each ingredient twice before adding it to the potion.

He was amazed at the grace the boy still had as he twisted and turned, dived and ducked during their defense lessons. He would collapse against the stone walls at the end of each session, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Sweat would trickle down the sides of his face winding their way through the maze of scars on his face.

Snape sat before the fire and listened to Potter talk about everything and nothing in the late evening. He learned the truth behind Harry's adventure during his first year at Hogwarts, he learned how Harry defeated the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. He found that Potter preferred to sit with their legs or shoulders touching so he was aware of where Snape was as he talked to him.

Snape could smell the soap Potter used as they sat with their thighs pressed together and he could smell the butterbeer on his breath as he laughed. Potter would always make Snape sit on his left so that his scars were out of his line of vision.

Snape stood in the center of the Quidditch Pitch on July 31st a school broom in his hand as Potter as he stood with his eyes squeezed shut and his unruly hair being whipped about by the wind. "Your decision, Potter."

He felt the boy's hand on his arm again and gently guided him onto the broom as it hovered a few feet above the ground. Snape mounted the broom behind him and reached around the nervous youth to grip the broom handle. He pushed off and smirked as he heard Potter gasp. He continued to raise higher over the Quidditch Pitch as Potter's hands edged closer to his own. He leveled off and breathed in deep as Potter wrapped his hands around Snape's intertwining their fingers together.

They landed softly and Snape dismounted and then assisted Potter. They walked hand in hand towards the broom shed. Snape tried to pull his hand from Potter's grip as they neared the castle but cringed as Harry tightened his hold.

He found himself staying up later in the evenings to prolong his conversations with Potter, and he found himself telling some of his own stories. They started to eat all their meals in Snape's quarters only leaving for their afternoon walk.

Three weeks into August, Snape announced that Potter would be returning to his other location the day before school was to start. The Order had decided to hide him away again when the other students were at Hogwarts. "Who will tutor me during the school year?" Harry had turned his head towards Snape as they sat together on the sofa. Snape's eyes darted down towards his full lips. He could feel his hot breath ghost across his own lips as Potter spoke.

"During the day, you will be tutored by Moody and Lupin. I will floo over in the evenings to tutor you in Potions and continue work on your braille."

Potter's cloudy eyes seemed to stare into Snape's as his hand reached out and landed on Snape's knee. "Bet you'll miss me." Potter's lips quirked up into a grin. Snape grunted and glanced at the Gryffindor's mouth as his small pink tongue darted out to wet his lips.

His hand shook as he reached out to feel the rough texture of his right cheek. "Does it still pain you?" Potter's lips formed the word no, but no sound escaped. Snape continued to run his fingers over each imperfection, learning each flaw.

Potter's lips were parted as Snape's fingers skimmed over them pulling his lower lip down slightly. He closed his eyes when he felt Potter's smooth hands touch his face. Snape dropped his hand down into his lap as Potter's fingers ghosted over his face. His eyes closed as he felt those fingers that he often stared at trace the shape of his nose. Snape's breath quickenend as Potter's finger touched his lips.

He quickly reached up to pull Potter's hand away from his face. He leaned in close loving the feel of Harry's hot breath against his lips. His eyes drift closed and he listens to the sound of their breathing. At the first touch of lips against his he grips Potter's hand. His eyes flew open when he felt a small wet tongue push gently against his closed lips. As he started to pull away he felt Harry's hand on the back of his head. All the excuses that he had went over in his head every night as to why it would be wrong to act on his feelings dissolved as Harry's tongue moved against his. As a small whimper broke through the sound of their breathing, Snape groaned and gave in completely to his desires.


End file.
